Florida doctor indicted after allegedly removing patient's liver instead of spleen
Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, was arrested Monday after a two-year investigation by local, state and medical authorities.
Updated on: April 14, 2026 / 5:54 PM EDT / CBS News
A Florida doctor is facing charges of second-degree manslaughter following a fatal surgery where he allegedly removed a patient's liver instead of the spleen.
Dr. Shaknovsky, who is licensed to practice medicine in Florida, Alabama and New York, is now being held at the Walton County Jail on a $75,000 bond, according to correction records, after a grand jury returned an indictment. His medical licenses were all suspended or turned in before his recent arrest.
"The Grand Jury has spoken, and our responsibility is to ensure the charges are carried out through the proper legal process," Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in a statement .
When the Alabama man first arrived at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach with abdominal pain on Aug. 18, 2024, Dr. Shaknovsky recommended surgery.